1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a trouble-diagnosis multi-function tester which is capable of diagnosing presence or absence of failures in operation of various constituent element in an automotive vehicle by centralized inputting of operational information contained in them.
2. Decsription of the Invention
In recent years, automotive vehicles tend to be equipped in various constituent elements thereof with more and more electronic controlling devices. As an example, electronically controlled fuel injection device, electronically controlled power transmission device, full-automatic air-conditioning device, and so forth have widely been put into practical use. As such, those vehicles in which electronic controlling devices have been installed are seen to have attained remarkable improvement in its cruising characteristic and habitability, while, on the other hand, when trouble takes place in the control system, it becomes very difficult to find out the place in the vehicle where the abnormality has occured.
Therefore, in those vehicles equipped with the electronically controlled fuel injection apparatus, the electronically controlled power transmission system, and so forth, which imparts a large influence on the cruising function of the vehicle, when the trouble occurs therein, there is provided in advance a diagnosing system (trouble-diagnosis function) to enable each and every system in the vehicle to be readily inspected. Namely, this diagnosing system is to find out presence or absence of abnormality in every part of the automotive vehicle by introducing into the diagnosis tester through a centralized connector those abnormality checking output signals which are produced from every controlling system itself, displaying the abnormality checking signal, and comparing the displayed pattern with a regular signal pattern.
However, with the diagnosis system as mentioned above, since the input checking signals to be repeatedly introduced from each and every controlling system are displayed in real-time, any abnormal signals can be promptly discovered when a certain abnormality takes place frequently, but it is very difficult to ascertain the abnormal signals when such abnormality occurs from time to time or in a rare occasion. Also, when a plurality of checking signals indicate abnormality owing to a signal cause of trouble, it requires a long period of time for assuming the above-mentioned cause for trouble based on each of the abnormal signal information thereof, because such information available to an operator are merely those abnormal information.